Who will succeed Pope Benedict XVI
as the head of the Roman Catholic Church? No one will know until the white
smoke comes out the conclave room chimney.
That hasn't stopped Vatican
followers from rampantly speculating, however, and The College of Cardinals has
no shortage of factors - and candidates - to consider.
Below are some of the key figures of
the world's biggest church whose names have emerged from experts as potential
candidates to become the next Pope:
The top-secret conclave kicks off
today. The Cardinals will undoubtedly consider ...
Cardinal Angelo Scola, 71: He's the
archbishop of Milan, a good launching pad, and the former Patriarch of Venice,
which has produced many a papal candidate.
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, 68: A
frontrunner, the former archbishop of Quebec, who heads the Congregation of
Bishops, also speaks six languages.
Cardinal
Leonardo Sandri, 69: Born in Argentina to Italian parents, Sandri was No. 2 in
the Vatican Secretary of State's office under Pope John Paul II.
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, 70: The
Italian-born president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Ravasi is seen as
both media-savvy and hugely popular.
Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, 70: The
archbishop of Genoa is well-connected, having served twice as the president of
the Italian bishop's conference.
Cardinal Peter Turkson, 64: The
first Ghanaian cardinal, he's president of the Pontifical Council for Justice
and Peace and the Vatican’s point man on Catholicism in Africa.
Cardinal Odilo Scherer, 63: Born in
Brazil to parents of German extraction, Scherer's edge is geography; he hails
from a region that is home to half the world's Catholics.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, 63: The head
of the archdiocese of New York is seen as one of the Vatican's most popular
figures - charismatic, camera-ready and conservative.
Culled from
Hollywood gossip
No comments:
Post a Comment